Quo Vadis: AdTech Economic Forum Podcast Episode #18 with Matt Sanchez

Welcome to the Quo Vadis podcast series dedicated to one-to-one interviews with the speakers who took the stage at the AdTech Economic Forum.

In this pod series, we get to know what our esteemed speakers are up to touching on their career journeys and hearing their unique perspectives across the many facets shaping the AdTech scene.

Takeaways:

• Yahoo's Brand Reintroduction 🚀: Yahoo is actively reintroducing its brand to the public, exemplified by its Super Bowl ad, and focusing on its 30th anniversary. 
• Organizational Realignment for Consumer Focus 🎯: Yahoo has structurally realigned its organization, creating dedicated units for Yahoo Finance, Yahoo Sports, and Yahoo Mail, to better focus on consumer needs and product development. 
• AI's Role Beyond Search 💡: While AI is important for search, Yahoo sees an even richer set of applications across its portfolio, such as enhancing utilities in finance, mail, and sports, to provide more powerful and personalized experiences. 
• Identity as an Advertising Advantage 🆔: A significant portion (roughly three-quarters) of Yahoo's ad impressions are delivered to logged-in users, providing a strong foundation for AI applications and the largest identity graphs in the industry for targeted advertising. 
• Shift to Targeted Advertising 📈: Yahoo's direct insertion order business now heavily incorporates audience targeting, moving beyond simple reach plays to smarter, more efficient digital advertising campaigns. 
• CTV Strategy Focuses on DSP 📺: Yahoo's primary strategy in Connected TV (CTV) is centered around its Demand-Side Platform (DSP) business, aiming to create direct connections to premium supply and leverage its omnichannel optimization capabilities. 
• Utility-Driven Content for Consumers 🛠️: Yahoo prioritizes creating content and products that offer practical utility and help users accomplish daily tasks and goals, such as Yahoo Finance Live, which aims to make users smarter investors. 
• Creator Economy Integration 🤝: Yahoo is leaning into the creator economy by launching programs like "Yahoo Creators" to integrate individual content creators alongside traditional publishers, recognizing the shifting role of brand trust towards individuals.